Why do you want to work here?

Why do you want to work here? How to answer the hardest interview question of them all.

When
it comes to difficult interview questions, this one is probably the
toughest of all. You will inevitably be faced with this question at some
point in the application process for a new job, whether it is in the
online application, during a phone interview or in a face-to-face
interview. Any potential employer wants to know that you really want to
work for them, and this question naturally goes a long way to answering
that. A new recruit who is genuinely interested in the firm will work
harder, be more successful and ultimately, will contribute to a strong
employee-retention rate.

For the purposes of this article, we
will assume that you know what industry, sector and role you are looking
for, and that by being a well-informed and motivated candidate, you
will stand out from the crowd. How to become that is what we will
discuss here.

Research

Having a deep understanding
and knowledge of the firm with which you will be interviewing, in the
context of current business news and industry trends, is an absolute
basic requirement. One good tool is Google News. This lists recent
articles posted online relating to whatever you have searched, in a
chronological order. Use this to identify recent successes or challenges
faced by the company.

Find out if there have been any recent developments in the industries it works in.

Don’t
just read the news however; read it intelligently, thinking through the
impact on the future performance of the business. If the company has a
YouTube channel, watch some of their recent videos and see if there is
anything valuable that you can take from them. Websites such as
GlassDoor and The Job Crowd can also be great at providing a useful
insight into company culture.

However, the point is not to then
embark on a monologue about everything you have read about Company X.
That’s possibly the worst way to tackle a tough interview question.
Rather, use selective examples garnered from your research to show that
you have read widely around the company and taken the time to digest and
understand your findings. If on the company’s website, it describes
itself as being innovative, then understand in what ways they act that
make themselves able to describe themselves as such. For example, are
they using cutting-edge technology? Do they have a high research and
development budget? In what ways are they leading their field above and
beyond their competitors?

What to discuss and what to avoid

There are a few key things you can talk about when answering the question “why do you want to work here?”

What the company actually does - product/service it provides and what interests you about this

Recent successes and challenges

Philosophy and mission behind the company

Training and development offered

Rather
than being vague in trying to cover all these bases, focus on what
genuinely is most significant to you and go into greater detail. Don’t
under any circumstances mention the salary, commission, holiday
entitlement etc. This implies that you are interested in the perks
rather than the company’s work and what it represents. Focus on how they
match with what you are looking for

Having done your research,
you are now in a position to see how, at least from the outside, this
organisation and hopefully the position fit with your criteria. Thus, in
answer to this question at interview, you could say: “From what I
understand by the research that I have done, I am very interested in
working in this company, because it seems to fit with the criteria that I
am looking for. Specifically, I really like the brand, what I perceive
the culture to be, and I think the role matches the next step for my
professional progression. Furthermore, I would be able to add a great
deal of value to the business”.

Competitors

Do
further research into this sector, which will enable you to compare and
contrast this particular firm with its key competitors. For example, if
you are working in the luxury sector, you may want to be able to compare
Ralph Lauren, with Tommy Hillfiger, Tom Ford, and Abercrombie and
Fitch, and thus have an informed view as to why this particular company.
Use your research to highlight why you are both genuinely interested in
the position and company, but also to emphasise why you match their
candidate requirements.

Tesla Duo is an international online recruitment platform that brings together jobseekers and recruiters. Our team is passionate about matching the right person to the right job and uses all its resources and expertise to guide you through the process.